Hanger device



Dec. 8, 1964 c. R. LAMM 3,160,383

HANGER DEVICE Filed June 21, 1962 INVENTOR CHARLES R. LAMM United States Patent 3,160,383 HANGER DEVICE Charles R. Lamm, 11 Arlington Ave., South River, NJ. Filed June 21, 1962, Ser. No. 204,180 3 Claims. (Cl. 248-211) The present invention relates to a device for suspending a Workers implements and appliances from a ladder. More specifically the invention is concerned with a hanger devised to cooperate with a ladder having hollow, open ended rungs.

Many devices have been'designed forsuspending tools, pails and other accessories from a ladder to aid workmen, such as carpenters, masons, roofers, painters and window washers, who must perform work from a position on a ladder. Many of these devices tend to interfere with the workers unrestricted use of the ladder due to the way in which such devices are attached to a ladder. Simple hangers have often proved to be unstable and readily subject to being inadvertently detached during normal use of the ladder. More stable hangers are often complex in design and use. The hanger of the invention has been devised to combine simplicitywith stability and ease of use.

A primary object of the invention is to provide a hanger of simple design and construction which will cooperate with a ladder to provide stable support for implements and appliances utilized by workmen while upon the ladder.

Another object of the invention is to provide a hanger for use with a ladder which will not interfere with use of the ladder and cannot be inadvertently detached from the ladder.

A further object of the invention is to provide a simplified pail hanger which allows easy access to the contents of the pail while maintaining the pail stable upon a ladder.

Still further objects will become apparent in the following detailed description of an embodiment of the invention illustrated in the drawings in which:

FIGURE 1 is a perspective view of a hanger constructed in accordance with the invention;

FIGURE 2 is an elevational view, partially sectioned, of a hanger installed in a ladder;

FIGURE 3 is a pictorial perspective view illustrating a hanger in use; and

FIGURES 4 and 5 are elevational views illustrating alternative hanger configurations.

Referring first to FIGURE 1, the illustrated hanger of the invention generally consists of a bar 11) having ends 11 and 12. A hook-like support is formed adjacent either end by providing slot 13 adjacent end 11 and slot 14 adjacent end 12. In the embodiment illustrated, bar is tubular over the greatest portion of its length, portion 15 being flattened to provide added bending resistance in the vertical direction which direction lies in the plane of that portion.

A stop 16 is provided on the bar at the position shown. A retainer 17 may be removably mounted on the bar near end 12 (see FIGURE 2). Retainer 17 is shown in the form of a resilient grommet which frictionally engages the bar to retain its position thereon but which may easily be removed from the bar. Alternative retainers, such as pinand-hole devices, detents, snap rings, clips, collars and the like may be employed if desired.

Referring now to FIGURES 2 and 3, as well as to FIG- URE l, a ladder 20 is shown comprised of sidepieces 21 and rungs 22. The ladder is of conventional design having metallic parts. Rungs 22 are hollow and have open ends 23 and 24.

In utilizing the hanger of the invention, bar 10, with retainer 17 removed, is slipped into end 23 of a rung 22 and moved along until stop 16 abuts end 23 of the rung. The diameter of bar 10 allows it to fit securely within the rung. Retainer 17 is then slipped over end 12 of the bar and pushed against end 24 of the rung. Bar 10 is beveled at 25, or otherwise tapered, to simplify the insertion of bar 10 into the rung and ease the assembly of retainer 17 and bar 10. Stop 16 and retainer 17 thus cooperate to maintain bar 10 in position within the rung and locate slots 13 and 14 relative to the ladder. As shown in FIG- URE 3, pails 26 and 27 may now be suspended from the hanger by inserting their respective bails 28 and 29 into the slots. Note that neither the rungs nor the sidepieces of the ladder are obstructed by clamps or other fastening devices which may interfere with the use of the ladder or allow inadvertent detachment of the hanger from the ladder by the movements of a workman on the ladder.

In order to promote stability, the length of slots 13 and 14 is such that bottom 30 of slot 13 and bottom 31 of slot 14 each falls below line X which passes through the center of the bar 10. Thus the weight of any object suspended in the slots will tend to maintain the slot in a vertical plane with the open endfacing upwardly.

The position of stop 16 on bar 10 determines the location of slot 13 relative to sidepiece 21 of the ladder. This position determines the displacement of slot 13 horizontally outwardly of sidepiece 21 and may be fixed at an arbitrary'location or it may be made variable for adjusting the support means provided by slot 13 for various implements and appliances which may be suspended therein. Thus, FIGURES 4 and 5 illustrate alternative fixed stops 16a and 16b which would fall within the scope of the invention, while stop 16 is adjustable to various positions along bar 10. An adjustable stop could be fabricated of a resilient material such as retainer 17 or may be constructed in the form of any of the alternatives enumerated for the construction of retainer 17. In FIGURES 1 through 3 the stop takes the form of a collar 16 which may be clamped in place by tightening screw 32 wlu'ch draws the ends of the collar together.

Another feature of the invention is brace 33 formed as an integral part of collar 16 in FIGURES 1 through 3. Brace 33 is comprised of two arms 34 and 35 which present supporting surfaces 36 and 37 to the body 26a of pail 26 at points vertically below the level of slot 13. As can be seen in FIGURE 3 (and in phantom in FIG- URE 2), the brace tends to push pail 26 outwardly away from sidepiece 21 of the ladder thus tending to force bail 28 away from its normally vertical position. Supporting surfaces 36 and 37 are located sufliciently near the top of the pail 26 to ensure that the weight of the pail and its contents will act to maintain the pail in a vertical position rather than cause tilting of the pail. In this way bail 28 is put in tension in a direction tending to prevent its accidental removal from slot 13 and pail 26 is stabilized against swaying and twisting movements. In addition, bail 28 is displaced away from a position directly above the opening of the pail allowing easier access to the contents. Brace 33 is adjustable longitudinally along bar 10 along with stop 16 to com pensate for pails of various diameters.

Both slots 13 and 14 are made to run at an angle with their respective openings 38 and 39 lying closer to the ladder than bottoms 30 and 31, thus tending to minimize inadvertent removal of bails 28 and 29 from the slots by accidentally pushing outwardly against pails 26 and 27 from the direction of the ladder.

The hanger of the invention may find many applications in those fields enumerated above. FIGURE 3 illustrates the use of the device in a painters ladder. Pail 26 contains paint, while pail 27 is employed to hold brushes and other painters utensils 40.

It is to be understood that the embodiment of the Patented Dec. 8, 1964 invention described and illustrated above is presented by pail upon a ladder, the pail having a body and a bail and the ladder having sidepieces interconnected by hollow, open-ended rungs, said hanger device comprising? a (A) a bar having opposite ends, said-bar being adapted to cooperate with one of the rungs with the greater portion of the length of said bar lying Within the rung and the ends of the bar extending beyond the ends of the rung and away from the sidepieces;

(B) a. hook-like support adjacent at least one end of said bar for receiving said bail; and

(C) a brace fixed to said bar and extending vertically below the horizontal level'of said hook-like support and horizontally away from the adjacent sidepiece and the rung a sufiicient distance to provide support surfaces so locatedwith respect to said hook-like support as to contact the-body of the pail and force the pail away from said sidepiece and the bail out of a normally vertical hanging position.

2. A hanger device for use in vertically hanging a pail upon a ladder, the'pail having a body and a bail and the ladder having sidepieces interconnected by hollow, openended rungs, said hanger device comprising:

(A) a bar having opposite ends, said bar being adapted to cooperate with one of the rungs with the greater portion of the length of said bar lying within the rung and the ends of the bar extending beyond the ends of the rung and away from the sidepieces;

(B) a hook-like support adjacent at least one end of said bar for receiving said bail;

(C) a stop on said bar adjacent said support and lying between said support and the rung, when said 4 length is within said rung, for locating said support in a given position relative to said ladder; v (D) a brace fixed to said bar and extending vertically below the horizontal level of said hook-like support and horizontally away from the adjacent sidepiece and the rung a suflicient distance to provide support surfaces so located with respect to said hook-like support as to contact the body of the pail and force the pail away from said sidepiece and the bail out of a normally vertically hanging position; and (E) a retainer on said bar for releasably maintaining said bar within the rung and said hook-like support and said brace in said given position relative to the ladder. 3. A hanger device of claim 1 wherein said retainer is on said bar adjacent the end opposite said support and engages the other end of the mug when said length is within said rung to positively releasably clamp the en-' tire length of the rung between said stop and said retainer and maintain said support at said position.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 881,054 3/08 Carle 2'4s 210 1,488,530 4/24 Cox 24s-211 2,142,830 1/39 Wendell. 1 ,226,228 12/40 Kunde 248-211 1 2,456,355 12/48 Aber 8.8 2,515,523 7/50 vMancino 248-311 2,962,923. 12/60 Stock s5 s.s 3,069,962 12/62 Rapata ssas FOREIGN PATENTS 275,905 6/51 Switzerland.

v 58,1,O92H 10/46 Great Britain.

683,720 12/52 Great Britain.

CLAUDE A. LE ROY, Primary Examiner. 

2. A HANGER DEVICE FOR USE IN VERTICALLY HANGING A PAIL UPON A LADDER, THE PAIL HAVING A BODY AND A BAIL AND THE LADDER HAVING SIDEPIECES INTERCONNECTED BY HOLLOW, OPEN ENDED RUNGS, SAID HANGER DEVICE COMPRISING: (A) A BAR HAVING OPPOSITE ENDS, SAID BAR BEING ADAPTED TO COOPERATE WITH ONE OF THE RUNGS WITH THE GREATER PORTION OF THE LENGTH OF SAID BAR LYING WITHIN THE RUNG AND THE ENDS OF THE BAR EXTENDING BEYOND THE ENDS OF THE RUNG AND AWAY FROM THE SIDEPIECES; (B) A HOOK-LIKE SUPPORT ADJACENT AT LEAST ONE END OF SAID BAR FOR RECEIVING SAID BAIL; (C) A STOP ON SAID BAR ADJACENT SAID SUPPORT AND LYING BETWEEN SAID SUPPORT AND THE RUNG, WHEN SAID LENGTH IS WITHIN SAID RUNG, FOR LOCATING SAID SUPPORT IN A GIVEN POSITION RELATIVE TO SAID LADDER; (D) A BRACE FIXED TO SAID BAR AND EXTENDING VERTICALLY BELOW THE HORIZONTAL LEVEL OF SAID HOOK-LIKE SUPPORT 